


Distractions

by whutnot



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, GA Kuvira, Preofessor Suyin Beifong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 01:43:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4588260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whutnot/pseuds/whutnot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to concentrate on the papers you're supposed to be grading when your professor, who happens to be your boyfriend's mom, is so attractive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt from tumblr.

She sits at the back of the class where she is supposed to be grading papers for the woman who stands at the front, but her pen is still and her mind occupied as she listens to the lecture about race and its role in feminism. Professor Beifong is turned away from the class, writing on the board, which offers Kuvira (and about forty-five undergrads) a wonderful view of her ass in her pinstriped pencil skirt. As usual, she wears a crisp blouse, white today, tucked into the skirt, with black heels that give her a height to match all but her tallest students. It is but three weeks into the semester, and already Kuvira counts the days until the break, where she can have a reprieve from the most inappropriate feelings she has developed. Not only is Professor Beifong the head of the department and her teacher, she is also the mother of Kuvira’s boyfriend. A fact that had slapped her in the face not long after the start of the semester.

Baatar Jr. had never talked much about his parents, only mentioning that they taught. Kuvira, stupidly, had never made the connection between him and the hottest professor in the department. It was not unreasonable, she thought, since Baatar Jr. uses his father’s surname. Professor Beifong kept her maiden name when she married. And now Kuvira struggles with a moral dilemma. She is attracted to Professor Beifong, who is married and old enough to be her mother, so there is clearly no possibility of a future there. However, she feels guilty for being with Baatar Jr. when she does harbor such feelings for his mother. She hopes that the attraction is just a passing infatuation, one that will fade as she grows closer to Jr.

Professor Beifong turns to face the class, catching Kuvira’s eye with a raised brow. Blushing, Kuvira returns to the papers, working quickly to catch up on the time she lost staring at the older woman’s ass.

A flurry of movement around her signals the end of class, and Kuvira moves to pack up her papers. As always, several students linger to ask Professor Beifong questions about the lecture and assignments, and Kuvira must wait until she is through.

She is playing on her phone when a shadow passes over her. She looks up to see Professor Beifong standing over her, a mischievous smile gracing her lips.

“Did you finish grading?” she asks, and Kuvira is now close enough to see the outline of her bra under her shirt.

Clearing her throat, Kuvira nods. “Yes.”

“You seemed pretty distracted. Is everything all right?”

“Oh, um…yes. I was just…” She looks down, away from Professor Beifong’s smiling eyes. “Your lecture was very compelling, and I was drawn in.”

Professor Beifong’s smile widens, and she lets out a sparkling laugh. “You flatter me.”

“I hope for a glowing letter of recommendation,” Kuvira says, hoping to pass off her awkwardness as charming humor. She is rewarded with another laugh from her professor.

“Oh, I’m sure that can be arranged.” Professor Beifong hoists her bag over her shoulder. “Listen, I don’t know what you have going on tonight, but well, I know you’re not spending it with my son.” The rest of Professor Beifong’s family was visiting her husband’s family out of town. Including Baatar Jr. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me. If you’re not busy.”

Kuvira stares at her for a moment, heart pounding furiously. She has no idea what to say. She wants to say yes. She wants it desperately. But she is not sure if she should. Plenty of graduate students spend time with professors outside of class. But most of them aren’t harboring a crush while dating said professor’s son.

Her silence stretches too far, and Professor Beifong frowns. “Of course, if you already have plans, that’s fine.”

“No!” Kuvira cannot stand the touch of rejection in the older woman’s eyes. She wants nothing more than to chase it away. “I’m not busy. I would love to have dinner with you.”

“Excellent.” The pleasure in Professor Beifong’s eyes brings a sudden warmth into Kuvira’s chest. She is certain she’s never felt so happy when doing something for Jr. A fact that she chooses not to dwell upon. “There’s a wonderful little bistro downtown. I can text you the address.” She tilts her head. “Or, you could just ride with me. And I can bring you back to your car later.”

Kuvira nods. “That would be great. Thank you, Professor.”

“Please, it’s Su. Just let me run by my office. We can drop off those papers.” She touches Kuvira’s arm, guiding her from the classroom. Kuvira waits patiently as Professor Beifong—Suyin quickly files the graded papers. “I hope they weren’t too monotonous,” she says as she locks the office and leads Kuvira out to the parking deck. “I know a freshman level class isn’t the most exciting thing, but we all have to pay our dues.”

Kuvira smiles. “It could be worse. At least it’s an honors class.”

Suyin laughs, and Kuvira wants to always be the cause of that sound. “This is true.”

Suyin’s car is flashy and sporty, and Kuvira thinks she should have expected nothing less. And she soon discovers that Suyin likes to drive it fast and hard. Kuvira thinks she’ll just walk everywhere from now on, and her legs are shaking when she steps out of the car.

“Did my driving scare you?” Suyin asks as she joins Kuvira on the sidewalk. Her eyes sparkle.

“Oh, um, it wasn’t that bad.”

“You don’t have to lie. My husband tells me all the time I should be more careful.” The mention of Baatar Sr. causes Kuvira to remember the distance she needs to keep between them. This woman is married with a family. And a son whom Kuvira is dating.

She should probably break up with Baatar Jr.

“Well, we didn’t die, so it can’t have been that bad,” Kuvira says softly, trying to mask the change in her demeanor. This promised to be a rough semester. A rough year.

“True.” Suyin places a hand on the small of Kuvira’s back and guides her inside. Suyin has a way of subtly showing a sort of…claim to people in her life. Kuvira has noticed it in the differences between how she treats her colleagues, her students, her friends. Her family. And now Kuvira. She wonders if it is because she is dating Suyin’s son or if it’s because they’re working together. Or…perhaps something else.

The entire dinner, she worries over it, barely able to keep Suyin from growing suspicious of her closed mood. She wishes she could just relax and be herself around the older woman, but she worries that herself is too….well, too gay. Because if she did not guard herself, keep her actions under close watch, she would probably turn into a love sick puppy. It would be all over her face, so very evident in her eyes. And she knows she’s never looked at Baatar Jr. the way she looks at Suyin. She’s not sure she’s looked at anyone the way she looks at Suyin.

She thinks, in another world, another life, she could fall in love with Suyin Beifong. With her eyes and her nose and her lips and her long, thin hands. With the way she moves, and her ferocity. Kuvira could love everything about her.

Which is a truly disturbing revelation to have over a casual dinner where she has no escape because she’s relying on this woman for a ride.

“Kuvira? Are you sure you’re all right?” Suyin is looking at her with concern. “You’ve been distracted all evening.”

“Um, yes. Just…personal things.”

Suyin’s brows furrow. “I hope that my son hasn’t done anything to cause this.”

“Oh, no.” Kuvira tries to give her a smile, but she knows it wavers.

“It’s all right. I know you don’t want to talk about that with me.” She takes a sip of her drink. “That would be awkward.”

“It’s not Jr.” She wants to be more reassuring, but her heart aches, and she feels weighted down by the prospect of an entire semester, possibly an entire year, of keeping up this act.

Suyin reaches across the table to touch Kuvira’s hand. “You know, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

Kuvira looks away, withdrawing her hand. “I can’t. It’s not…Jr. hasn’t done anything, I promise. He’s…he’s a gentleman. You raised him well.”

Suyin’s mouth purses. “I’m sure about that, but it’s good to know he hasn’t treated you poorly.”

“It’s more likely the other way around.”

“Nonsense. He can’t stop talking about you.” Suyin smiles, and Kuvira wants to wither away. She’s going to break his heart, she knows. “He doesn’t get like this with many girls. In fact, I don’t think he’s ever been this excited.”

Kuvira lets out a small groan and blurts, “I’m going to break up with him.”

The silence stretches between them, and Kuvira can’t look at Suyin, can’t take the anger she knows she’ll see.

“I see.” Suyin’s voice is calm, and Kuvira bites her lip before glancing up. The older woman doesn’t look angry. She looks…contemplative.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand. It must be terribly awkward for you to be in this position. I understand why you wouldn’t want to say anything.”

“It um…I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m so sorry.” Kuvira stands up to leave, Suyin following. “I haven’t even…He deserves to hear it first.”

“Kuvira, wait.” Suyin catches her hand. “I promise, whatever happens between you and my son, I won’t let it affect our relationship. I can keep things professional.”

And that is exactly what Kuvira is afraid of. She doesn’t want things to be professional. She wants an emotional entanglement.

“I appreciate that. Look, if …please don’t say anything to Jr.” Kuvira asks. “I need to tell him face to face.”

“Of course.” Suyin keeps hold of her hand. “Let me drive you back, all right? I promise I’ll go slow.”

And when they walk out of the bistro, her hand is once again on Kuvira’s back


End file.
